


The Intern

by Isaac_A_Drake



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Older Characters, Pokemon Journey, Pokemon Training, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-08-09 22:48:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16458494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isaac_A_Drake/pseuds/Isaac_A_Drake
Summary: You don't just trust children with weapons of increasing destruction. You trust teenagers with attitude (and a few years of training). A kind of Kanto retelling with older characters taken to their logical conclusions and only small tweaks to the canon team for now.





	1. Town of Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> So I’ve actually been playing around with this idea for almost 2 years. Kept hitting 'keeping pre-Sinnoh canon in line' issues with my other pokemon fic so I am gonna do something from the ground up here. I will be having the pokemon journey start at 14 instead of 10 bc frankly that's horrifying and limits storytelling options anyways. I'll be taking a lot of inspiration from Traveller and Challenger but still be going my own direction with this Kanto redo. I'll be treating egg moves similar to how Challenger does so that they aren't overpowered for example, however unlike both there will not be an alternate starter to Pikachu (sort of) and I will only slightly diverge from Ash's canon Kanto pokemon, and only to add other, reasonable, Kanto pokemon. (He will not get all three starters however). Also unlike both he will have traveling companions that are at least a little more than guest stars. It probably also won't be near as brutal as Origin of the Species or some of the post-SS Anne Traveller chapters.  
> Don’t worry, Ninjetti and Secret Fire aren’t cancelled, I just needed to shift what I was writing for a bit.

Our story begins on the second week of spring in the region of Kanto. Butterfree, pidgey, and all kinds of bug and flying pokemon could be seen flying back into the region as the snows melted. In particular the first flock of butterfree had already reached the Viridian Forest and begun laying the eggs that had resulted from last year's matings. 

Young pokemon of all non-migrating species had begun hatching almost immediately. Within a month of the start of spring nidoran of both genders would leave their parents and live in large but weak herds with the occasionally nidorina or nidorino to protect them. 

All around this spring was shaping up to be a fine one, especially for the teenaged humans of the region.

Every year at the beginning of Spring the Kanto Pokemon League accepted new trainer registrations, hundreds of newly fourteen year-old trainers registered. Some purchased a starter their family could afford, others were gifted a newborn bred by family, and some were just gifted a weak pokemon a friend or family member had gone out to catch for them.

However every year a lucky and talented few are given starter pokemon bred by the esteemed Professor Oak of Pallet Town. They are selected to carry Pokedexes and act as wandering research aids for the professor, collecting data as they are training and raising pokemon. Only trainers to be who score higher than ninety percent on his aptitude test are given these well-bred starters.

This year four teenagers from across Kanto qualified, and two were from Pallet Town itself.

It is not surprising when a child from Pallet qualifies, Oak often has interested pre-teens and teens working towards becoming trainers help around his research ranch. They care for pokemon, inspect enclosures, and often run small errands for him. 

The two from Pallet Town were his own grandson, Gary Oak, and his top pokemon caretaker, Ash Ketchum. 

Gary had scored the highest on the battle focused sections of the exam, to no surprise of his grandfather or really anyone that knew him. All Gary had ever wanted to be since he was a small child was the Pokemon League Champion, just like his idol, Lance. Now one would think Gary would take the idolization further and choose Charmander as his starter, however being around his grandfather's ranch he had already met all the starters, and he had found the Charmander to be uncannily shy and timid. That wouldn't do for his ambitions, so he was going to pick a spunky Squirtle that had already taken a shine to him.

Ash had a special touch when it came to caring for pokemon, in particular the problem cases. He just had a natural kindness and empathy to him when it came to the creatures. He had scared his mother to death when she came to bring him his lunch one day when he was ten and had just started working on the ranch and she had found him buried underneath two nidorino that had to her knowledge been very aggressive and been giving the Professor many problems. It wasn't until she had run over screaming that she saw that the two creatures had been nuzzling her son and licking at his face while he was giggling. 

Delia Ketchum had never forgotten the sight of that and her little boy's stories of calming and playing with normally aggressive pokemon only grew with time.

That aptitude had greatly impressed Professor Oak, and after Ash had scored off the charts on pokemon care, psychology, and nurturing he had decided to give the boy a special treat upon his induction as a trainer.

The other two trainers were from other parts of Kanto. Leaf had been raised by her grandfather in Viridian City and had been attending Oak's summer camp every year since she was ten so she could realize her dream of becoming a Pokemon Researcher like him. She was bubbly in social interactions but very booksmart and intelligent. She was planning on picking the Bulbasaur so she would have a sturdy pokemon with plenty of ways to capture wild pokemon for study. 

The final trainer was Damian Cross. He was from a wealthy Saffron City family and as he had done significantly worse on his short answer section of his exam than the multiple choice portion, just barely scrapping the ninety required, Oak had his suspicions that he had cheated somehow. However without proof he was going to have to give the boy the Charmander and a Pokedex just like he would with any other qualifying trainer to be. 

So there they were, standing in Professor Oak's main lab receiving their pokemon. The professor had pulled Ash to the side before they began and explained he would receive his starter last, but that it would be worth the wait. 

And thus Gary Oak got his Squirtle, Leaf her Bulbasaur, and Damian Cross his Charmander. It was only then that Oak turned to Ash, “Now Ash, since you scored highest on the pokemon care sections I have a special starter for you, one you may know already.” He held off a hand to cut off the protest of special treatment from Damian, Gary would have likely protested himself, but he had become slightly attached to the young Squirtle he had chosen in the past few weeks while he researched his options.

After quieting the boy the old man produced a pokeball from his belt and released a pokemon that immediately turned into a yellow blur and latched itself onto Ash's neck. 

The surprised young man let out a yelp and then when he regained his balanced his surprise switched to excitement, “Dio? Professor thank you!” Attached to his neck was a young pichu, Dio, short for Diode. It was the several months old offspring of the first problem pokemon he had handled for the Professor, a troublesome pikachu that had been eating the wiring of the lab when he first became one of the Professor's interns. 

That Pikachu had swiftly become a hassle for the entire lab. Shocking the research assistants at inconvenient times and frying the machinery when frustrated. 

It had taken months, but Ash and Professor Oak working in tandem had finally gotten through to the little creature.

And once they earned his trust all that was needed to get the little ball of energy to help out around the ranch, even protecting it from wild pokemon, was a consistent supply of ketchup.

Pikard, as Oak had named him in some pun on a television character he liked, had taken viciously to defending his new home. The Pikachu had reached astounding heights of power in the four years since Oak had captured him. And last year Oak had finally found another Pikachu that was acceptable to Pikard for mating and they had produced offspring. The professor was seriously considering consistently using Pichu from the two for extra starter pokemon in the future, it seemed Pikard passed down a proficiency for both Iron Tail and Volt Tackle, though those skills would still need to be heavily practiced to be useful. 

This year was the experimental year, and Ash was the best to carry out that experiment. 

“Oh a baby pichu? Wow, I thought you were getting special treatment but really you’re just getting shafted there,” Damian’s input was scathing and bullying as usual.

Ash turned to Damian with a deep frown on his face, “Listen, I would not have picked any other pokemon than, Dio here had I been given a choice from every pokemon on the ranch! I helped tame his father and bottle-fed this little guy since he hatched! He’s going to give you a big surprise by the time he reaches maturity.” 

A snort was his only response as Damian turned and exited the building with his charmander and new pokedex.

Once he was gone Leaf let out a high-pitched hiss, like an angry persian, “I hate that guy! He was a total jerk at the testing center too!” 

Even Gary, who was confident to the point of cockiness at times had to agree, however, “Well he’s never seen Pikard in action. I still remember seeing that tiny guy take out that fearow after only being grandpa’s pokemon for like a week.”

The professor harrumphed, “Indeed, now I think you all have other places to be? Such as fetching me a package from Viridian, Gary? Or seeing your mother before you run off, Ash?”

Both boys blushed, muttered apologies and began to run out of the lab.

“Ah! Also don’t forget to send check in reports on anything interesting!” The professor’s voice called out after them as Leaf followed them out at a more sedate pace.


	2. An Adventure Awaits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu was perfect for inspiration for this story. I almost wanna trade all my pokemon over to my roommate and start over again making sure to follow only the pokemon I bring into Ash’s party.   
> Anyways Ash’s party will have no pokemon that he doesn’t catch in canon so long as he caught a pokemon of that type in canon. Which just leaves a Fairy-type, a Psychic-type, and a Steel-type opening. Which I will take suggestions for in reviews.   
> (Now I am counting Haunter as the Ghost but I could be convinced not to, especially if it were a dual-type that covered one of the other typings and this does mean he may get his pokemon from other regions earlier, through trades, gifts, migrations, competitions, smaller length trips to other regions, etc)   
> In fact the first of such is going to be in the next chapter.   
> Most of this was written waiting on my plane at an airport.

Ash rolled his eyes as Diode rolled about the floor of his home in laughter.

The source of the young pokemon’s amusement was Ash’s mother going over everything he had packed into his bag for his journey.

“Alright, sweetie. Your TM case is in here, as well as your berry pack, your medicine pouch is stocked with potions, you have your sleep roll and tent, is there anything else we’re forgetting?”

“Well I think we’re forgetting that it’s just me leaving and I’m just one person.”

His mother pointedly ignored his comment and continued double and triple checking his packing, “Hmm...are you sure this is enough underwear?” 

“Mom!” Ash yelped in embarrassment as his pichu howled in laughter in the loudest manner a pokemon of its size could manage. 

Finally Delia Ketchum huffed, handed Ash his backpack back and then smiled.

“My little boy is growing up too fast now, next thing I know you’ll be a Pokemon Master and Champion.”

Ash laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

“Oh I don’t know about that, Mom. I’m not even sure exactly what I want to do outside of my journey. Sure I wanted to be a master as a kid, but working on the Oak Ranch showed me there were a lot of other things too!”

She reached out and lightly tapped the brim of his hat, “Well that’s good to hear, while I want you to do what you love I cannot pretend something safer like breeding wouldn’t ease my mind.”

Ash grinned, “Of course it would be a much better breeding business if I won a few championships and sold the lineage of a championship pokemon!”

Delia huffed at her son, “Oh you. Now get going on your journey, and since I love you and don’t want you to have an excuse not to call I have a present.”

With that she handed him a newer model Pokegear. Less bulky than the Pokenav and with slightly less detailed GPS mechanics, it was still an all in one phone, navigation device, music player, and word processor (dictation only however). 

His Pokedex could handle the more elaborate reports he sent in to Professor Oak, but this way he could keep in touch via phone and e-mail with his mother and friends.   
Ash thanked his mother for the gift and promised to call frequently before he finally took his leave, his pichu on his shoulder, and Route 1 in his sight.

Unfortunately for Ash Route 1 was really really boring. 

He had actually been out here many times with Professor Oak when the professor had to deal with more dangerous than average pokemon on the route.

In fact, “Hey, Diode! Look there! It’s the tree your dad split when he took out that fearow with Professor Oak a few years ago!” 

The rodent’s ears perked up and his eyes shone in pride.

Ash jogged over and decided to set up lunch at the base of the blackened v-split tree trunk.

After Diode finished his meal he tugged on Ash’s sleeve and pointed up to the tree, “Chu, pichu?” 

“Hmm?” Ash responded while thinking about what his new partner might want, “Oh! Do you want me to tell you the story?”

Diode nodded excitedly.

“Well then alright!” Ash packed his leftovers up and placed his bag next to him leaning on the tree. He swiftly picked the pichu up and put him on his knee.

“So a few years ago, about a month after your dad first started working with Professor Oak there was a mean fearow leading a flock of equally mean spearow out here, harassing travelers and new trainers!” 

The baby pokemon was staring at his trainer in rapt attention, listening to the first major exploit of his forbearer. 

“So Professor Oak, deciding to give Jean Luc a chance to prove himself gave him first crack at the flock. At first this didn’t work out so well, Jean Luc got beat up pretty bad by failing to dodge a Drill Peck. But it was overcast that day and eventually it started raining. And do you know what happens with electric moves in the rain?”

Diode nodded vigorously.

“Exactly! Jean Luc was able to let loose a massive Thunder attack that knocked the fearow and a good chunk of the spearow out in just one hit! That one hit kept going to the ground and split this tree right here!” 

The little pichu squeaked in awe as his father’s prowess.

“That was the fight that really bonded him with Professor Oak and I. After that he got a taste for battle and protecting the Ranch and started listening more to us. Eventually Professor Oak got him a Thunderstone and a mate and now I get to travel around with you! And we’re going to make you super strong too!” 

With that the duo packed up lunch and hit the road again.

It was not a long trek into Viridian City. Diode had to scare off a few slightly more aggressive pidgey and ratata, but Ash was not interested in catching any of them. Perhaps if one of the pidgey’s had looked close to evolving or had shown any unique or unusual behavior. But it was not meant to be. The young trainer figured he may have to wait until he got into the Viridian Forest before he really caught any extra pokemon.

In fact, looking down at his pichu, to defeat Brock for his first badge he was going to need to catch an oddish, bellsprout, or evolve a caterpie into a butterfree. Or get really lucky and find one of the very few wild bulbasaur or another similarly rare pokemon in there. 

Eventually after a few hours he and Dio strolled into the Viridian City pokemon center.

And right into two black clad individuals menacing the Nurse Joy with pokemon.


End file.
